The Liar in Love
by Fantome Pain
Summary: Natsume is a best-selling romance novelist who has had his fair share of female lovers in the past. So when Mikan, a blind high school student, finds her way into his life, he begins to question if he really knows what love is about at all.
1. Chapter 1

**The Liar in Love**

 **Disclaimer:** Gakuen Alice and any references I make do not belong to me D:

Dear reader, thank you for choosing this story. I really appreciate the time you've taken to read this. This first chapter is really just a set-up of sorts for the story to come afterwards. I hope you continue to stick by The Liar in Love.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

"So?"

"Hold on, there's _waaay_ too many people. Just give me a sec…"

Mikan stood next to the girl who had been her friend since her second year of high school, Anna Umenomiya. She held onto Anna's arm with one hand, clutching her folded long cane in the other. It was the start of the new school year and they were currently in front of the school's announcement board. Everyone was excited to find out which class they would be in and who would be in their class this year. Mikan hoped desperately that Anna would be in the same class as her.

Anna edged her way further up as the students who crowded the front left for their respective classes. "And… We're in the same class Mikan!" She then received a hug from Anna, and she hugged her back.

Mikan felt a smile creep onto her lips. _Thank goodness._ During her first year, she and Anna didn't know each other because they were in different classes. There weren't many students who were willing to help her, whether it was with writing notes or moving from class to class, because they felt like she was the reason they were behind in their lessons compared to the other first year classes. So during lunch or after school, Mikan decided to make it her task to memorize the layout of the school. She had asked her homeroom teacher to assist her, and he was more than happy to.

But then she met Anna the next year and she realized her efforts to memorize the school grounds were in vain as Anna pretty much helped her with everything. Anna was the first person at school to approach her without a teacher asking her to and seemed pretty content with helping her around and sharing her notes. "It helps me revise too," she'd said. That year, Mikan was top five of the second years. The year before, she had made top ten.

"I bet if you could see, you'd probably be first place," Anna said to her once. "You work so hard."d

Mikan smiled at Anna's remarks. "Well, I try."

"And sometimes, I feel you aren't… _ordinary_."

Mikan cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean? I feel pretty ordinary."

"I mean, compared to the other girls at school. You don't care much for fashion and you don't wear makeup. I mean, I know you're blind, but I think even blind people care about their outward appearance. And you don't seem really interested in pop culture stuff, and like… I guess, you just seem so much more sophisticated compared to everyone else. When we're in class for example, you're never hunched over, always sitting with great posture, and when you walk, it's like you're balancing a book on your head."

Mikan shrugged. "Maybe it's _because_ I'm blind that I'm like this." She'd meant it as a joke, but she could feel the sudden change in Anna's mood. "Don't take it so seriously Anna. I was only joking." She placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, trying to reassure her. "I don't know. I suppose I was raised differently. Not that my grandpa is really strict or anything, just that he didn't want me to seem vulnerable, especially since I'm disabled."

"Don't say that!"

She could hear the defensive tone in Anna's voice, and that warmed her heart. "Thank you Anna."

Even though it was true

* * *

It was lunch time when a girl from a different third year class suddenly burst through their classroom doors, catching the attention of the eight girls who decided to remain for lunch, including Anna's and Mikan's. She had her phone in her hand, and on the screen, was a video she'd put on pause.

"Natsume Hyuuga's interview is on MHK right now!"

Mikan could hear the all eight girls get up from their seats, including Anna, and rushed over to her. Mikan remained unfazed, never having heard the name before. Nevertheless, she got up too, and walked over with no trouble, having memorized the positions of the desks and chairs, where the door was, and approximately where the girl was too, based on how far away she'd heard the voice.

She touched someone's shoulders, and someone placed their hand on top of hers. "Interested?" It was Anna.

"A little bit."

The girl played began to play the video.

" _Let's welcome today's guest,_ " said a woman's voice followed by screams from a mostly female audience. _"Natsume Hyuuga!"_ Followed by even louder screams. _"He's here today to talk about his third novel, titled_ The Unkindness of Sakura Blossoms _._ " He shook the interviewer's hand and sat down on the chair across from her. _"It's nice to see you again, Natsume._ "

" _Likewise. The last time I was here, I think was about two and a half years ago."_

 _"Oh yes, that was when you released your second novel. I believe you were nominated as a finalist for the Kuma Awards."_

 _"I was. I didn't win though,"_ he pointed out, which garnered a small laugh from the audience. _"But all the same, congratulations to Mutou-sensei. His book was excellent."_

 _"Since I'm sure viewers have seen Natsume multiple times on this program why don't we just go straight to the questions. I have some of my own, and some from people watching at home. I'll start with mine and we'll move onto the fan questions after. What do you want readers of your book to gain this time from reading this book?"_

It didn't take long for him to answer. " _I believe that the act of experiencing a novel is an intensely personal one. So I think each reader decides for themselves what my stories are about."_

 _"I've read all your novels Hyuuga-san, and no matter how much violence and death permeate your stories, they are all love stories at their core, correct?"_

 _"I guess you can say that."_

 _"Is there a reason for this?"_

 _"I've experienced my fair share of lovers."_ To this remark, all the girls in the audience as well as the girls in the classroom squealed. " _I'm no stranger to love. But I've always felt that love is what drives a story. Whether romantic love, familial love, torn relationships, everything has a story. Without these relationships between people, in this case my characters, there can be no story. And besides, love makes things more interesting, doesn't it?"_

 _"I see. Then does that mean your stories also draw from your own personal experiences?"_

" _Not really, but I think we can all agree that I've got a rather creative imagination. I can make my characters do whatever I wish. In some ways, they are my children and I make sure to take very good care of them."_

It was at that moment the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch.

"D'awww," said the girl who had come in. "Sorry guys, gotta go."

"We can watch it later," said a girl in reply.

The girl left, and other students from their class started piling in.

 _"Gosh, he's so handsome."_

 _"It's like those red eyes are staring straight into my soul."_

 _"Can't believe he's only 27."_

Mikan and Anna both went back to their seats. Anna leaned over to Mikan and whispered into her ear, "Curious?"

"Hmmm… I feel like I've been missing out on something important," was all she said in response.

"Who is he?"

"Hm?"

It was after school, and Anna was walking Mikan home as usual. She could've probably gone home herself, but Anna didn't trust herself to let Mikan off on her own. Ever since she'd met Anna, she found herself using her folded long cane less and less, and in many ways she was incredibly thankful.

"When Takamura-san came in today, we were all watching that video of his interview."

Anna turned to look at her. She was used to Mikan not making eye contact with her at this point, just staring blankly ahead. "You knew it was her?"

"It sounded like her."

"You're not wrong." Anna chuckled. "Yeah, it was her. She's a big fan of his. And so are most girls actually."

"Why?"

"What do you mean _why?_ Mikan, if you could read his books, then you'd know what's got every girl's ovaries exploding."

Mikan laughed out loud. "Are _your_ ovaries exploding?"

It took Anna a while to answer. "Can't say. But it's just the way he writes. He totally enraptures you and you just can't put the book down until you're finished. He makes you feel like _you're_ the female protagonist and that he'll do anything to protect you and keep you safe. _And,_ " she pointed out, "he loves you unconditionally."

"Who makes you feel safe? Hyuuga-san?"

"No, the male protagonist. 'Cause they're always super hot and cool. But Natsume knows what's up 'cause he's super hot and cool too."

"He's an _author._ How do you know he's super hot and cool?"

Anna was the one who laughed this time. "We watched his interview video. How can I _not_ know how he looks like?"

Mikan hadn't thought about that. "So did you know how he looked like before?"

"Don't they always have the picture of the author on the back of books or someth…" Anna trailed off. Mikan's smiling face suddenly became very serious. Of course, she wouldn't know because how could she have? "A-anyways, I'm sure you'd like him Mikan. If it's possible, I'll try to find a brail version of his books for you."

They had been walking for about twenty minutes at this point and Mikan sensed she was close to arriving home. She lived in a relatively small neighbourhood with her grandfather. Her parents died when she was eight, and ever since then she'd lived with him. She loved her grandpa like she loved her dad, although her dad and mom had been gone for nearly ten years now.

"Thanks Anna." She let go of her arm and walked up to the gate. "Let me know when you do." She waved, not turning around. "See you tomorrow."

"Alright. Same time, okay?"

"Sure."

She opened the door – it was always left unlocked so she wouldn't have to fumble for keys and she subsequently locked it whenever she arrived home – and was greeted by her grandpa.

"Mikan, you're home."

"Hello grandpa. How was your day?" She walked over to the living room where her grandpa was sitting on the couch, watching TV.

"Same old, same old. Not much for an old man to do these days."

Mikan giggled. "Go out for walks. Meet people. You've got lots of time which means you've got lots to do."

"I've done too much over the past three decades. It's nice to spend my remaining years just relaxing."

Mikan put her bag down on the couch next to him and went over to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and took out a container containing vegetables and pork, and rolled her sleeves. "You've done many things, but great things grandpa. How about steamed veggies and pork with rice tonight?"

She heard her grandpa yawn. "Sounds good." Her grandpa started flipping through the channels before stopping and putting the remote down. There was some ruffling, and he got up. "I'm going upstairs for a quick moment Mikan."

"Got it."

She'd started washing the vegetables and putting some hot water in a pot when the sounds of the TV caught her attention.

 _"Luna Koizumi's newest single,_ Only You _, shot up to number one after only one week on the charts. This will be her tenth consecutive single to do so, making her the only solo female artist to achieve such a feat."_

The song started playing. It was a slow pop song, one where you wanted to hold onto the one you loved and never let go, desperately trying to look for the love you hope was still there.

Mikan couldn't remember a time when her music wasn't playing everywhere. She'd go the mall, and her song would be playing. She'd go to a restaurant and her song would be playing. Even at school, boys and girls would listen to her. Anna had complained to her about not knowing enough of pop culture and the like, but even she knew who Luna was. It seemed like she would be hearing this new song for the next ten weeks. Again.

Her grandpa came back downstairs and sat on the couch again. He began to flip through the channels once more.

 _Thank goodness._

What Mikan didn't know was that this woman – whom she would learn to hate – would constantly reappear in her life.

* * *

Natsume Hyuuga lived in one of the most expensive high-rise buildings in Tokyo. Of course, this was only because he could afford it. His first two books had been best sellers, accumulating to a total of 10 million sells and he was sure this new book would be no different.

"It might even sell more than your first two," Ruka Nogi, his editor and best friend, told him.

"Did you make any changes?" Natsume had asked him.

"Not many. But I think maybe…" and he'd taken out the manuscript from the envelope. Ruka ruffled through the pages and stopped at the ones he marked with a sticky note. "I think you should get the plot moving a bit faster from pages 201 to 219. It's a bit dragging. I highlighted the parts to take note of in red pen. I'm sure you know what I mean."

Natsume did. He knew exactly what Ruka was talking about. He was in the process of writing his third book when suddenly, _bam,_ he just couldn't write. He was suffering from writer's block. And there were circumstances going on in his personal life stopping him from writing that he decided to take a break for six months. Ruka was furious and constantly nagging him about getting the manuscript done, that the people at the printers weren't going to give him more time. The time limit was two years, and he'd taken an extra half a year.

"You know what they said to me?" he asked Natsume one day during his six-month break. "'Ruka, you're lucky that people are willing to wait a looooooong time for Natsume's next book. We wouldn't give any other author this treatment.' You're a real gem Natsume."

But Natsume hadn't just been preoccupied with writing the book. He'd been busy with other things that had been preventing him from working. So that's why when he opened the door to his room and saw her on his bed, he wasn't at all surprised.

"Did you hear? _Only You_ is at number one on all the music charts right now." She was wearing a yellow sundress, lying on her stomach, hands in her hands, feet swinging in the air. "All thanks to you."

He took a quick look at her – there was the beauty mark he was all too familiar with, on the left side of her bottom lip – then scanned the rest of the room. Nothing seemed out of place. But it wasn't like he was suspecting her of taking anything in the first place. He just wanted to find something so he could blame her. He walked over to his desk and turned on his computer. "Why are you here?" he asked.

"I hope you don't mind," she continued, ignoring his question. "I gave the piece you wrote to my producer without asking you beforehand. I read what you wrote and knew it was meant for me anyway so…"

Natsume didn't turn to look at her. Instead he took out a pen and paper. "You can use whatever you want. I really don't care." He started scribbling on the piece of paper while waiting for his computer to start.

He heard shuffling and he could see in his mind the shape and curve of her thigh as she bent her legs over the bed. She walked over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "What are you writing?" she whispered softly into his ear.

He ignored the sensation she gave him every time she was this close. He tried to give a quick and short answer. "Things that have been bothering me."

"Like what things. I want you to tell me about them."

Natsume stopped writing and put the pen down. " _No_ Luna." He brushed her off him with his hand and stood up. He walked out the room to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water.

Luna followed after him elegantly and leaned against the kitchen counter, a smile appearing on her face. "Barkeep, whisky please," she said in a husky and sultry voice. Natsume rarely drank, but he grabbed a bottle of whisky from one cupboard and a shot glass from another. He poured the alcohol into the glass and slid it over to her. She downed it quickly and pushed the shot glass back to him. "Another," she said in the same husky voice.

He ignored her and walked over to the living room. The only thing separating the living room from the kitchen was the kitchen counter – made of black marble – and placed his glass of water on the table. His apartment didn't have much – white walls with the occasional painting, a glass table-top coffee table with copies of his books among others, a black leather couch overlooking the floor to ceiling windows and a flat-screen attached to the far wall.

Luna turned her gaze his way and followed him again. She stood next to Natsume, facing him and she was so close she could've put her chin on his shoulder. She placed her hand gingerly on his stomach and started doing circular motion. "Natsume…" she began.

Natsume didn't look at her. "You should leave," he said.

Her eyes went wide. "What?"

"And I want you to give me back my keys. It was a mistake to give them to you."

Luna dropped her hand from his stomach and took a step back. "You're not getting paid, are you?" She smiled at him, and put a finger to her mouth, biting down on the nail. "But you don't mind, since this is what we agreed to after all." She took a few delicate steps to the couch and turned to him, the same, coaxing smile still on her face.

Natsume could feel his fists clench and unclench and before he knew what he was doing he had crossed the room in three steps, her head in his hands and kissed her where her beauty mark was. Luna fell back on the couch and raised her arms over her head.

His hands went over to her thighs and he proceeded to take the sundress off.

* * *

If a blind person could roll their eyes, Mikan was sure she'd done it just then. It was lunch time and the girls from her class were crowded around each other again. The same name kept coming up throughout their talking and squealing and laughing.

It seemed to Mikan, according to the direction the conversation was taking, most of the girls – if not all – had bought Natsume Hyuuga's new book three days before the school year started, as that was the release date. They'd all finished reading it and couldn't stop talking about it. So much so that Mikan fought the urge to place her palms over her ears.

"They talk too much," she muttered to no one in particular, though Anna was the only sitting by her. Her grandpa was the one who prepared her lunch today andsince he usually woke up before her he had some extra time. She took the cover off her blue bento box. "What do I have for lunch today?" she asked Anna.

Anna peered over. "I see pickled vegetables at the top of where you're sitting, rice with eel to the left of that, and a salad on the side. You're very well taken care of."

"Of course I am," Mikan replied. "So…" she leaned closer to Anna. "Have you finished reading Natsume Hyuuga's new book as well?" It took Anna a while to answer so Mikan assumed her answer was probably yes. "Anyways," she continued before Anna could give her a response, "I was thinking maybe we stop by the bookstore after school. Maybe I could find a brail version there. See what all the fuss is about."

She felt around the desk for her chopsticks, held it properly in her hands and took a bite of something. _Pickled radish…_

"About that…" Anna looked away from Mikan. "You know how I've been in the Cooking Club for three years now?"

Mikan nodded.

"Well, club events are starting again and we have to attract new members. So I have to set up downstairs in the lobby today after school. I meant to tell you but I never found the time to. Sorry."

Mikan tilted her head to one side. "Hmmm? Can't help it I suppose." She _did_ feel a little dejected, but then again, she didn't want to hold Anna back. She knew how much her club activities meant to her. After all, _she_ was the one who got the club going back on its feet again. It was almost like her baby. "I'll go by myself."

" _What?_ I don't think it's safe."

Mikan waved away her concern. "You know what, _don't_ come with me. Seriously, I mean it. I know this is important to you so you should dedicate yourself to it. Besides, it's not like I've never been out by myself before." And it was true. During the ten years she'd lived with her grandpa, he'd taken her to places all over Tokyo.

" _Since you're blind Mikan,"_ her grandpa told her when she had first lost her eyesight, _"you must pay extra attention to your surroundings, especially when we're in a city as busy as Tokyo. Now, how do you do that, you may ask. You need to feel, use your intuition. Listen to people's voices and determine whether they mean to do you good or do you harm. What are their intentions? How far away or how close are the sounds? Use your cane to prevent yourself from walking into a sign or a tree. You'll do fine by yourself in time."_

When she had just begun to live with her grandpa, she didn't really understand what any of those things meant. But now that she was eighteen, she'd become acutely aware. She used her blindness to her advantage. Sometimes, when she was out by herself, someone would approach her – usually boys – pretending to ask for directions, and when they realized she was blind, they would quickly get themselves out of the situation.

 _"Sorry young lady, wrong person."_

 _"I thought you were someone I knew."_

 _"Miss – oh, my bad."_

From her own personal experience, most people didn't want to associate with someone who couldn't see, because that meant they had to rely heavily on others. But she preferred it this way. The only people she wanted to care about were her grandpa and Anna and they were also the only people she needed to care about her. She didn't want anyone else.

"Let me go, okay? I promise, I'll be fine."

Later on that day, Anna had been given permission by the teacher to leave class early. It was around that time that the clouds started rolling in. Though the windows were closed, Mikan heard the rumbling outside.

The bell rang and school ended.

She left the classroom and made her way to the shoe lockers. At this point, she'd been here for three years and didn't need the aid of her cane. She felt along the walls. _First door… second door… hall here, turn left._ She changed from her indoor shoes to her own pair. She could hear the hard _pitter patter_ of the rain.

 _Great…_ She rummaged through her bag and took out her folded long cane.

"Sakura-san!"

She turned to the direction of the voice and walked over. "Ah, Fujiwara-kun. I've not said hello to you yet since school started. I guess we're in different classes this year."

"So we are. I saw you a few times and you seemed pretty busy. But actually, the reason I called you over is because I'm handing out plastic raincoats and umbrellas to students. The teachers asked me to. I think you probably need one." He walked over to her, took her hand and placed the plastic raincoat in her hand. She fumbled with it a bit, not sure where the sleeves were, whether she had it right-side up or upside down. "Here, let me help you," he offered.

She put her hand up in protest. "I've got it." She put it on and the raincoat felt nice and snug. Perhaps it was a bit too big but it would do the job fine. "Thanks for this," she said with a smile and headed for the exit.

She made her way to the nearest subway entrance without any problems. She didn't need to ask anyone for help and nobody came up to talk to her. Ikebukuro was where she wanted to go. Although Tokyo was generally crowded pretty much everywhere, people tended to go to Shinjuku or Shibuya because there were more shops there. Ikebukuro was less crowded – although not by much.

It was only one stop away so she didn't bother taking sitting on when she got on the train. She arrived at her stop, and exited the station. The rain hit her raincoat hard, and she flinched slightly. Quickly, she took out her cane, and felt as it unfolded and the end hit the ground. She took a step forward and moved the cane left and right simultaneously.

 _The department store… should be a bit further north from here._

She could hear the sound of the rain, the sound of footsteps, people talking to each other, store attendants trying to draw customers in and pretty soon she arrived at her destination. She turned the corner, and before she could even let out a scream, she collided face first into someone's chest. She took a step back, but her ankle twisted underneath her and she fell hard onto the ground – right into a puddle – bottom first. Her skirt and shirt were drenched. Her bag was no longer on her shoulder but instead dangling around her wrist. She'd dropped her cane as well at some point, and her hands automatically felt around the ground to try to find it.

"Miss!" The voice called to her urgently and apologetically.

 _I'm fine!_ was what Mikan wanted to yell out, warning the man not to come any closer, but no words came out. Instead, she felt drenched and pathetic. It turned out the raincoat couldn't completely shield her from the rain after all.

She felt someone put their arm around her shoulder, and she shuddered. She wanted to smack his hand away, but didn't because there seemed to be a familiar warmth to them. "Miss, are you okay?"

Suddenly, she was on her feet again and her bag was back on her shoulder. Something was placed into her hand. It felt long and thin, like a rod – her folded long cane. "Th-thank you," she murmured, clutching it closely to her chest.

She was just about to be on her way, when the man stopped her. "Miss, are you going somewhere?"

Mikan didn't say anything, just stared in the general direction the voice was coming from. The voice was obviously male. Not anyone she knew, but it was gentle and soft. There wasn't any hint of ill will behind his voice and he genuinely seemed like he wanted to help her. "I'm on my way to the bookstore," she told him.

"I could take you there," he began, "but it might be a bit uncomfortable since you're completely wet. You might garner some stares from people. Let's get you cleaned up."

"Cleaned up?" she repeated.

"Look at you, you're soaked from the tips of your hair all the way to your toes." Mikan reflexively wiggled her toes in her shoes at his comment. She put a hand to her hair and squeezed it. Water droplets fell onto her arms. She heard him _hmmm_ before coming to a conclusion on what was best. "I can't take you to my place because it's too far. But I can take you to my friend's place. He lives nearby, about a five minute drive."

"I-I'm _sorry?_ " Mikan stuttered. She immediately took a step back from the man who had helped her. "I appreciate your help but I must be on my way. In fact, I'd like it if you left me alone."

She walked past him when he grabbed her arm. Mikan stopped where she was. "Jesus, that's not what I meant," he said in between chuckles. "I know you don't know me, but I feel a little bad. I'm the reason you're like this and besides…" He held his left hand out to her where there was a ring on his ring finger. "I'm engaged. And I couldn't possibly dream of doing anything to a high school student."

 _Engaged…?_ Mikan didn't completely trust this man, but she didn't feel like he was a bad man either. _'Use your intuition'_ she remembered her grandpa telling her. "Okay," she finally said after a short pause.

"Alright then, follow me." And the man turned and started walking.

Mikan fumbled with her cane, and she heard the familiar _tap_ of it as it unfurled and hit the ground. Her hand started shaking because she didn't know which way he started walking and began drifting off in a different direction.

She had only taken a few steps when the man grabbed her arm once again. "I'm sorry." He took her cane and folded it back up, putting it back in her bag. "Hold onto me, like this." She took hold of the arm he extended out to her and they started walking side by side. "What's your name young lady?"

Mikan contemplated for a moment whether she should tell this strange man her name but ultimately decided on it. "Mikan Sakura."

"Mikan… That's a nice name. I'm Ruka Nogi."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Liar in Love**

 **Disclaimer:** Gakuen Alice and any references I make don't belong to me D:

 **Author's Note:** Hello again, to everyone reading. I know this next chapter has come about quite quickly, but I just want to warn readers of this story that I only managed to write this because I had some extra time on my hands. I probably won't be able to update like this on a constant basis. Just a warning. Anyways, I'm thrilled that so many of you seem to like this story so far, aha~ I pretty much know how this story is going to go, and I've even planned out a few endings, though I doubt this story will end anytime soon so don't worry! I hope you all enjoy this next instalment of The Liar in Love.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

"Where… are you taking me?" Mikan asked consciously, holding her school bag close to her body. She didn't notice it when she was outside but now that she was in the car, she felt cold.

"My friend's apartment. He lives close by. He'll probably let you use his shower."

Mikan tightened her grip on her bag. "Will he be okay with that? Does he often let strange girls take showers at his home?"

"He probably _won't_ be okay with it," he chuckled, as though the thought humoured him but also frightened him a bit at the same time. She noticed he avoided answering the second question.

They five-minute drive was rather pleasant. At first, Mikan was satisfied with just the silence but then Ruka tried to make conversation. She really wasn't interested and it slightly annoyed her that he couldn't see it. But then she found herself opening to him a little. He asked her where she went to school, and she told him, asked her what year, ' _third year,' 'studying hard for exams now aren't you?' 'Yes, I've been told I can take a separate one for those who are interested in university but are blind,' …_ and so on.

Then they came to a complete stop. "We're here," Ruka said to her. "Hold on, let me help you." He got out of the car and went over to her side of the car to open the door. She reached out and her hand came into contact with his. She instinctively wrapped her fingers around his large palm. She stepped out, and heard the car door slam shut.

She didn't let go of his hand as they walked across the parking lot. "We're in the underground parking lot right now," he told her.

"Yes, I know," she replied.

Ruka raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Oh? How do you know?"

"It echoes in here."

"Well…" They stopped in front of a door which lead into the entrance of the building. He put his hand in his pocket and fumbled for keys. "My friend gave me the keys to his apartment." He could hear him dangling the keys in front of her, and she let a slight smile creep onto her lips. "No permission needed." There was a beep sound and he opened the door the door for her. "Okay, from here, all the way up to the penthouse."

 _Penthouse?_ If this friend of his lived at the penthouse level, no doubt this person had a lot of money. As they entered the elevator, Mikan made sure to count the number of _dings_ she heard every time they passed a floor. _Thirty-eight floors and two penthouse levels._ Ruka's friend lived on the second penthouse level.

Still holding onto his hand, Ruka guided her to the very end of the hall. She listened to the sound of keys entering the keyhole, the turning of the keys and the opening of the door. "Natsume?" Ruka called out as they both stepped inside. "Damn, I knew I should've called him," he muttered to himself. "He's not going to like this."

 _Natsume…?_

He walked ahead of her, and she walked after him. Though in an unfamiliar environment and setting, she would be safe inside an apartment, even if it was a stranger's. However, the name Ruka called out itched at her. It was the only logical explanation she could come up with.

It made so much sense and it couldn't just be a coincidence. A best-selling author would of course find himself the best home. And of course, one of Tokyo's most expensive apartment would be it. At the very least, this person was the only person that popped into her head, since she didn't know anyone else named Natsume.

 _I'm in Natsume Hyuuga's home_.

And she wanted to leave right then. Ruka's footsteps stopped and she stopped a few steps behind him. She heard the sound of water running. Somewhere in one of these rooms, someone else was already taking a shower. "It seems like the bathroom is occupied at the moment," she pointed out.

"Hmm…" Ruka turned to look at her and now that they were standing in front of each other, face to face under proper lighting, he was able to get a good look at her. This girl was actually quite pretty. She had delicate features. Her cheeks contained a hint of rosy red. Her mouth was slightly pouty. She had large, almond eyes, and her brown hair fell past her shoulders, curling at the ends. But most enchanting were her eyes. There was something about them that made her look like she was always a little bit sad.

"There's a bathroom upstairs." He watched as her eyes widened and he smiled, amused. "Yes, yes, there is an upstairs here. Really, the inside is more like a house. Come."

He placed his hand on her back, guiding her upstairs. Eventually they reached the bathroom. "Wait right here." She stood in front of the bathroom for about two minutes before he came back. "Why does his wardrobe only have dress shirts?" he said to no one particular. "You can change into this." He placed the shirt in her hands. "But you might have to wear your skirt when you come out. He's got nothing that'll fit you on the bottom."

"I don't mind," she said. "But does he have a hairdryer?"

"Hairdryer? Hold on…" He went into the bathroom, and she walked in after him. He opened one of the sink drawers. "Oh, here it is. Let me plug it in for you." He plugged the hairdryer in an electrical outlet. "Okay, so the hairdryer is here on the sink, the shower is on your right side – not the tub kind. So just open the door here." Even though he told her that, he opened the door for her anyway. "Just watch your step. Towel… let me put the towels on the handle." As he said these things, he guided Mikan to the different parts of the bathroom.

"Okay, thank you. I got it."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

And she really did. If her grandpa hadn't done what he did with her when she was younger, she would probably have a lot more trouble with remembering where everything was or how the layout of a room was like. "Then…"

"Call me if you need anything." Ruka closed the door behind him and went back downstairs. He really didn't know how he was going to tell Natsume or even how he was going to react to this girl in his apartment. He might get the wrong since bringing girls home – especially to Natsume's home – was something he never did. After all, Hotaru was the only one for him.

He was just about to sit down on the couch when something on the couch caught his eye. In fact, it was nearly impossible to miss. Ruka felt the groan come before it even escaped his mouth. He was just about to reach for the offending object when he sensed someone walk into the room and turned around abruptly.

"Oh, Ruka!"

He quickly hid his shock and anger at seeing this person with a smile plastered on his face. A woman was in front of him – a woman he was all too familiar with.

"Luna, what a surprise." _Indeed._ _"_ I didn't know you would be here… But don't you think you could've worn something and not just a towel after taking a shower."

 _So_ she _was the one in the other bathroom._

Luna let out a soft giggle. She pushed her wet hair to one side. "I didn't think there would be anyone here. Oh yes, and my dress. I forgot to take it with me."

Ruka fought the urge to throw the dress at her so he did what any gentleman would do – he laid the dress across his forearm, and walked over to wear Luna stood. She took it from him and smiled. "You're always so kind to me Ruka. Sorry you had to see me like this."

But of course, what this woman didn't know was that he was feigning his kindness. He wanted nothing more than to yell at her to leave and get out of Natsume's life. "I've known you too long," was all he said.

She went back into the room. Though he didn't like her, Ruka had to admit, even _he_ was a bit dazzled whenever he saw Luna up close. There was an elegance and delicateness to the way she moved as though she were about to break. Perhaps Natsume had always been attracted to her physical beauty rather than her character but even Natsume, thought Ruka, must be able to see just what a horrible person she was.

It was then the Natsume came out of the same room, scratching the back of his head. His hair was dishevelled and he was wearing dark trousers as well as a pale blue dress shirt, unbuttoned to about halfway. "Close the door, Natsume!" Ruka heard Luna call.

"Why d-?" And then he looked up. Surprise flashed across his face seeing his friend standing in the middle of his living room. "Ruka…? I didn't know you were coming."

"Sorry," Ruka said through clenched teeth.

"You should've called. You always do."

"I forgot this time."

Natsume raised an eyebrow and walked over to the kitchen. "Forget? You? You don't forget. Did something happen?" Ruka noticed a bottle of whisky and a shot glass sitting on the kitchen counter. Natsume took a different glass and put in some ice before pouring in the alcohol.

"Why're you drinking?" he asked. "You don't drink."

"No," Natsume corrected. "I rarely drink. But I _do_ drink." He took a sip of the whisky, and walked over to Ruka, a hand in the pocket of his trousers. "So… why're you here?"

"You gave me a set of your keys," Ruka reminded him.

"Yeah, so you could come pick up my manuscript. So you could remind me to meet my deadlines. For _emergencies_."

"This _was_ an emergency." But Ruka couldn't exactly tell him that the emergency was because he stumbled across a blind high school girl who clearly needed his help. That wouldn't be acceptable to Natsume, but more importantly, it would make him seem like a pervert.

Natsume shrugged and waved a hand, as though to tell him to continue his story.

Finally, Ruka sighed, and placed his hands on his hips. "Why're we being so hostile to each other?"

"Because you came in uninvited."

Ruka shook his head. "No, that's not it. I always come in uninvited. You're angry because I interrupted you. You're angry because you thought you were finally going somewhere, and now because I'm here, you've got nowhere to go. Let me tell you something, Natsume Hyuuga, _you're_ the one who needs to stop."

Natsume put his glass of whisky on the coffee table. "Ruka, there are some things you just don't understand."

"Then tell me. _Help_ me understand Natsume," Ruka begged. "Why, even after all this time, do you keep doing this to yourself? Isn't that done now? You've got nothing holding you back. _Nothing._ "

It was at that moment, the door to Natsume's room opened and Luna came out. She was wearing the same yellow sundress Ruka had given her. She walked over to the both of them, and put her hand on Natsume's shoulder, resting her chin on it. Her other arm, she wrapped around his waist, in an up and down motion. "Did something happen?" she asked, her question mainly directed to Natsume.

"Nothing happened," Ruka answered in place of Natsume.

"Hmm…" She eyed the both of them suspiciously. Then both her hands fell, and she made her way to the kitchen counter. "Alright, I suppose you _don't_ have to tell me. Clearly this is an argument between friends." She grabbed hold of the whisky, but instead of pouring herself a shot, she drank straight from the bottle. "Since the two of you don't seem to want me to take part in it." She placed the bottle back on the counter. "Well…" She grabbed her bag that was sitting on one of the stools placed by the counter. "I guess it's time I left."

Natsume made his way to her, hands in his pockets. "Let me see you out."

They walked towards the door, with Ruka following closely behind them. It was then that Ruka remembered something, and his eyes widened with both realization and horror. But by this point, it was already too late. "Why are there an extra pair of shoes here?" asked Luna, as she put on her designer brand heels.

Natsume looked down and saw a pair of white sneakers. "Oh, you're right." Then his eyes shot to Ruka. His red eyes were like ice. "Is this yours?"

Ruka groaned, but instead of answering he turned and walked back into the living room, taking a sit on the couch, exasperated.

"Oi, Ruka!" he heard Natsume yell after him.

"Forget about him for a second," said Luna in a husky voice. She took Natsume by his chin and directed his gaze towards her. "I'll see you soon," and she planted a quick kiss on his lips.

Ruka finally felt at ease when he heard door closed, but his relieve was short lived because Natsume walked back in, eyes fuming. He went over to Ruka and there was barely one feet between them. He leaned forward, eyes unwavering, their noses inches apart. "Care to explain why someone's in my home?"

"I met this girl…"

Natsume straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. "Is that how you're going to start this story?" he asked before Ruka had a chance to explain any further.

Ruka waved his hands out defensively in front of him. "Just hear me out, okay? I bumped into her and sh-"

A voice broke the tension between the two friends.

"Ruka-san, are you here?"

Natsume turned to the direction the voice had come friend, and standing on top of his black marble spiral staircase was a young girl, who appeared to be in her teenage years. She was wearing a white dress shirt – clearly his – and a dark blue pleated skirt. Her hair was damp and went below her shoulders. Her eyes stared ahead, not trying to look for the person she had called for.

She descended down the steps slowly, a hand on the railing. "Was your friend taking a shower?" she asked.

"No…" Ruka walked over to her and took her hand as she reached the last step. "Did you manage okay?"

"Fine. But the bathroom might be a bit of a mess, since I don't know where anything goes. I apologize for that."

"That's okay." Ruka waved away her apology. He guided her to the middle of the room. "I'll handle it. Wait here, I'll be right back." She heard him hurry up the stairs.

Natsume stared at the girl in front of him, and she stared back. Natsume didn't know if it was because she didn't care or if she had no interest, but there was nothing about her that showed even an ounce of emotion. She was difficult to read. "You're Natsume Hyuuga, I'm assuming," she said, sensing that there was another person there.

Natsume felt the corner of his lips go up. He walked over to her, hands on his hips. "Yes." And then leaned forward until their faces were inches apart. "I've had many encounters in my home, but this has got to be the strangest. Never have I met a girl so desperately try to meet me."

He was surprised when she let out a stifled chuckle. It sounded like _pft_ to him. "You think too highly of yourself." She resisted the urge to add _sir_ sarcastically. "Ruka-san was kind enough to help me. I think if we were closer to his home and not yours, I wouldn't even be here right now. But still, I should thank you. Since this is your home after all."

He straightened himself, arms crossed over his chest. "So you know that you're in my home." Something about this girl rubbed him the wrong way. Not once did she ever look at him directly, and she didn't seem particularly impressed by him either.

The feeling was mutual.

He went over to the coffee table and took a sip from his whisky glass before setting it on the kitchen counter this time, leaning his elbow against the dark grey marble, not taking his eyes off her. He then motioned his hand toward the couch. "Please. Take a seat." She turned her head his way, and then her head the other way, but didn't say anything. She took an uncertain step forward.

Not very often did Mikan ever have to tell people that she was blind, because it was always plainly obvious especially when she had her cane with her. So she didn't exactly know how to tell him: _"Sorry, but I can't see. I live in a world of darkness."_

It was at that moment, Ruka – who she considered her hero at this point – came running back down the stairs. She felt a hand on her left shoulder. She turned her head to the left. "Sorry Mikan, over here." The sound of his voice came from her right side and she turned her head the other way. "I noticed you left your bag upstairs. And this." She reached out and felt the familiarity of her cane and took her bag from him. "Don't want to lose that now, do you?"

"Thank you. And uh…" She gave him a smile. "The hairdryer as well. I was able to blow dry my skirt with it."

Suddenly, a cellphone rang. "That would be mine," said Ruka. He took a quick look at the caller ID and groaned. He rubbed a hand over his face.

"Something wrong, Ruka?" asked Natsume.

"Yeah… Hotaru."

"Ah… that answers all my questions."

"I was supposed to meet her for dinner today." He scrolled through his phone. "Three missed calls, and five text messages…" he murmured. He patted Mikan apologetically on the shoulder. "I'm gonna have to leave," he told her. "And I can't take you with me. Sorry."

"What?"

"Don't worry. Natsume will take care of you."

Mikan could feel her heart rate speed up. _I don't_ want _him to take care of me._

"Wait just a second, Ruka." Natsume went over to Ruka, and poked him none too gently on the chest just as he was putting on his coat. " _You_ found her, so _you_ take care of her."

Ruka glared at him as he fixed the collar on his autumn coat. "I've said 'no' to Hotaru too many times at this point. My life will really end this time if I say no to her again. Beside, are you really going to do that to this girl? She's blind for god's sake." Ruka gave a sigh of frustration as a look of realization passed over Natsume's face.

 _So that's why she reacted so strangely to everything I did…_ he thought.

"You're really thick in the brain sometimes." He made his way to the door and Natsume followed after him. "Why don't you do a moral thing for once?" he said as he opened the door. "I'm sure she doesn't live far from here."

He was already walking down the hall when Natsume called after him. With an exasperated sigh, he closed the door and walked back into the living room. _So what do I do with her?_ She stood, facing the windows, not having moved an inch from her original spot. But her hair was still damp, so he went into his room and took a fresh towel. He went back to her and draped it over her head.

She flinched. "What's this?" she asked.

"A towel. Your hair's still wet. You used my hairdryer, didn't you?" – not that it was really his, but something Luna left behind a few years ago and forgot to take it with her ever since. "Why didn't you blow dry your hair?"

"That wasn't of immediate importance."

Natsume raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"I wasn't planning on staying long. I just needed my skirt to be dry so I could leave as soon as I was done taking a shower. I've stayed longer than I wanted to already."

"But you're okay with your hair being wet?"

"I thought Ruka-san was going to take me home." _Not you._ But she didn't tell him that. There was an awkward silence between them for a moment before she spoke again. "Is Ruka-san a good friend of yours?"

Natsume grinned at her. "Why? Did he tell you I was a good friend of his?"

"No."

She answered questions bluntly and honestly, Natsume noticed.

"But if he wasn't a good friend of yours, I don't think you'd give him the keys to your house."

 _And perceptive._

"Well, he's my editor. There are times when I'm not home so giving him a copy of my keys makes things less troublesome for me."

"It's more than just the fact he's your editor. I'm sure even if he _wasn't_ your editor, you'd still give him your keys." And this time, she turned to look at him. He felt as though she was staring into his soul. "Because you wouldn't give just anyone your house keys unless you trusted them."

Natsume could sense his annoyance creeping in. She didn't even know him, and yet he felt like she could tell what he was feeling. And she was spot on. He looked back at her coldly. "Ruka told me to send you home. Where do you live?"

He surprised her by giving him a small bow. "There's no need for that. I can get home by myself. Thank you for letting me use your bathroom, even though you seemed reluctant." She straightened up. "Then, I'll be on my way."

Even though Natsume was aware she had heard what he said to Ruka earlier – about him not wanting to take care of her – there was something about her that made him unable to leave her alone. He didn't know what it was, but he just couldn't. "Let me take you home," he said with a finality to his voice. "It's unsafe for a teenage girl to be roaming around the streets this late."

And then she did something that sent a spark up his spine. She bit her bottom lip. But she wasn't trying to be sexy or seductive like so many of the women he'd brought home who did the same thing. Not in the same way Luna was when they were in bed together. No. She did it because there was inner conflict in her. And she was struggling with what she wanted to say and how she wanted to say it. She was frustrated.

"I know you and Ruka-san are good friends," she began, though Natsume didn't really know what that had to do with anything. "And I like Ruka-san. I think he's nice. A gentleman really. But…" She then gave Natsume a look he didn't think a blind person could ever be capable of. There was a fire in her eyes. "I don't like you."

"Oh, really?" he said, amused. "Okay, fine. You know where the door is."

She stood there for just a second longer before she turned to leave. _As I thought, he truly is a horrible person._

Natsume heard the click as the door closed. Then, he grabbed his burgundy, European-style coat and followed silently behind her.

* * *

He followed her into the subway station. In fact, he was rather surprised that she knew where it was at all. Maybe her sense of direction wasn't as bad as he'd originally thought. She even turned into a coffee shop inside the station and bought a cup of coffee with no problem. _Was there a need to follow her after all?_ He was leaning against a nearby pillar, hands in his pockets, and observed as she walked out. At first, she made her way towards the escalators, but then stopped.

She reached into her bag for something and took out her phone. Even from this distance, he could hear her as she answered the call.

"Hello?" She didn't say anything for a while before answering. "Let me talk to him Kaname-senpai. Hello? Bear? Yes. Yes. Why do you keep doing this?" she asked in a lecturing tone. "How long are you going to keep aiming for goals by yourself? Why won't you let other players on the soccer team help you? You don't want any help from strangers, but even worse, you don't even want help from your teammates or friends. This competition isn't about showing how great you are. It's meant to show you can't survive unless you get help from others. Would this have happened if I'd been there today? I'm not just helping you because Kaname-senpai asked me." Suddenly, the sound of her voice changed from the lecturing tone to a kinder, gentler one. "Try to open your heart more Bear, okay? For me? People will like you better." She smiled. "Alright, see you tomorrow then. Remember what I said." She hung up the phone.

"It's mine!" a kid yelled in the distance, echoing through the whole station.

"No give it to me!" another one yelled back.

Mikan was just about to make her way towards the escalators when she felt small hands pull her arm. And then the arm went around her back, dragging her shirt with it. And another hand grabbed her arm and she almost fell forward. "Give it back!" the kid yelled.

"No, get your own!"

The two kids went back and forth at each other, using her as a barrier between them both. "W… wait a moment," Mikan barely managed. One of the kids pulled onto her arm again, and before she could register what was going on, she was going around in circles too as the two kids ran round and round, trying to catch the other. "Please…" she begged.

She didn't know what happened after that. One moment, she was holding her coffee and cane, and the next, both those things slipped from her grasp.

"WAAAAAAAAH!"

One of the boys started crying and screaming. His screams were so loud, everyone in the station turned their attention her way. She felt her bottom lip tremble, and before she knew what she was doing, she was on her knees, extending her arms out to try and comfort the crying child. "I'm sorry, are you okay?" Her pupils scurried hurriedly in the whites of her eyes, not sure where she should be looking.

She used her hand to find his face hoping to cup his cheek, but both hands were over the child's head as he kept crying and screaming, attracting the attention of anyone who walked by. "Please, don't cry. I-I didn't mean to. I… I…"

And suddenly, she felt someone shove her hard on the shoulder and she toppled onto the floor. She felt something wet and warm on her fingers – her coffee. "What are you doing to my child?!" a woman screamed. "Are you crazy?! Are you trying to hurt other people's children?!" She roughly grabbed the hand of her crying son.

Somewhere in her perpetual darkness, Mikan hard another woman's voice. "Hey, miss, do you have eyes? Can't you see this young lady's blind? How could you say something so insensitive?" she said in her defense.

But Mikan didn't care. She felt her breathing come out faster and harder. Suddenly, she just couldn't hear anything at all. She felt around the ground. _Where is it…? Where? Where?_

"If she's blind, she should just stay home? What's she doing here anyway? Can't you see how much trouble she's causing for everyone else around her? Don't cry, dear, let's go." And she dragged both her sons away.

She could hear people beginning to crowd around her. _I have to get out of here…_ she thought. _Quickly… Quickly!_

It was then that she heard a familiar voice, one she'd heard just an hour ago. "Move, get out of my way." Natsume shoved the people aside roughly, feeling an anger he didn't he could feel rise within him. "She's mine," he said with a venom in his voice. When he made his way to the front of the crowd, she was still on the ground, feeling around, trying to find her cane. He went down on one knee, resting one of his elbows on it. He pushed the cane so that it came into contact with her fingers. She clutched it tightly in her hand.

They could both hear the whispers of the crowd.

"Is that who I think it is?" said a female voice

"Natsume Hyuuga?" said another.

"No _way._ What's he doing here?"

"Omigod never thought I would get to see him like."

But even as he heard it, he ignored their comments.

Mikan turned her head in his general direction still gazing down.

 _Like a sad puppy,_ Natsume thought.

"Is this who you are?" she heard him ask her, his voice stern but not angry – or even judgemental. "You told that kid on the phone to seek help from others, to ask for help when he needs it, to not do everything alone, but look at you. How come you can't do the same? You don't even know how to cry for help. Why won't you let other people help you? You slap away their hand when they give it to you." He leaned in closer to her, so only she could hear it. "What's wrong with you?" He straightened himself. "So what now? You don't want my help either?"

Mikan fought back the tears that threatened to fall. And strangely enough, she didn't feel anger over his words because his goal wasn't trying to provoke her or upset her. All he was doing was asking her a simple question but one she didn't know how to answer. So instead of that, she reached for him. Her hand came into contact with something – his wrist – and she held onto it, trembling.

"Let's go." She swallowed back the urge to cry. "Let's go."

She felt him grip his hand around her own wrist, and then an arm slid around to her waist holding her tightly and firmly. Oddly enough, she felt safe with him like this. He helped her to her feet. "Excuse me," he said to the crowd. "As you can see, this girl here is someone important to me. If you can all just move aside and let us through."

The whispers from the crowd around again.

"What?"

"Important?"

"Who is she?"

 _Just_ what _are you saying?_ Mikan thought to herself. _I don't know you._

Ten minutes later, they made their way to the platform, and Natsume sat her down on a bench. He opened a water bottle and went on his knees, dabbing the place where she fell with a wet tissue. "This isn't going to help much, but it's better than nothing," he said to her. His eyes went up to look at her face. Her gaze went past him, staring into the distance at nothing. Her cane was in her hand, dangling between her legs. He sighed and took a seat next to her, taking a sip from the water bottle.

Neither of them said anything. She was clearly in no mood to talk, and he wasn't interested in trying to make conversation either. They heard the train in the distance, and she stood up and talk a step forward. He stood up to, standing a bit behind her. "Why did you follow me?" she asked suddenly. "Were you worried?"

He looked at her. She was short – shorter than even Luna, and that was saying something. Mikan reached to just a little bit above his shoulders. "I didn't know if I was leading you away to your death when I sent you off by yourself. But good thing I _did_ follow you. What would you have done in that situation if I wasn't there?"

The train was approaching closer.

She didn't answer him as though she hadn't heard him. "Right now, the train…"

"Yeah," he said before she could say the rest. "It's almost here. Stand close to me."

She ignored him. Instead, the next thing she said took him completely by surprise.

"When the train comes, push me."


	3. Chapter 3

The Liar In Love

Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice and any references I make do not belong to me D:

Author's Note: Oh, thank you all so much for your kind words that you left for the last chapter. It really made me smile and motivated me to work even harder on this chapter. Sorry this one took a bit longer. I actually spent a long time writing and rewriting the last quarter of this installment because it just wasn't going the direction I wanted. I would write a scenario and scrap it because it felt weird or wrong and then I would think of the chapter I've planned ahead and realize it wouldn't work out like this. Anyways, regardless, I hope you all enjoy chapter 3 of The Liar in Love.

* * *

Chapter 3

" _When the train comes, push me."_

Her words hung in the air like icicles. Of course, Natsume wasn't going to push her. But still, he froze as an image appeared in his mind. He was suddenly taken back to the time when he was ten years old in Paris and saw the man falling from the tower. It was in that moment, here at the station, with this girl he had met only two hours ago, that everything suddenly stood still.

The train was getting closer and closer now. They both heard the horn of the train get louder. She took a step forward. And another. And another, until she was almost to the edge of the platform. Before Natsume realized what he was doing, he already had his arms around, her back against his chest, and hugged her tightly against him.

The train stopped and the doors opened. " _Tokyo Station. Tokyo Station."_ Then they closed moments later, and continued to make its way down the tracks.

They stayed like that for a while. Mikan not quite sure how to react, and Natsume not willing to let her go just yet. But when he did, he grabbed her by the shoulders, looked at her and yelled: "Are you crazy?! Do you have any idea what you asked me or even what you're doing?!" His breath came out heavily and he ran a hand through his hair. When he finally regained his composure, he grabbed her hand, and dragged her behind him, despite her protests. They made for the escalators again. "You're coming with me," he said coldly.

Something about his voice made Mikan not want to argue with him, and without another word, treaded silently behind him.

After a while, they came to a stop and he pulled her in front of him. "There's a bench behind you. Sit." She sat down and he sat next to her and gave a sigh of – not so much relief – but released tension.

Mikan dared herself to say the first words. "Why-"

"I'm never going to take the train with you again," he interrupted. "And as long as I'm around you, don't you even dare ask me. I'm going to be driving you places."

"Why didn't you push me?" she said, ignoring his words. _It's not like I asked you to come with me anyway._ "If I were you, I would've pushed."

"Stop talking nonsense. Watch what you say before I get mad," he said through clenched teeth.

"How mad?"

He felt like she was provoking him and he glared at her. She just stared blankly ahead, as though unaware of anything, like how she was unaware of the effect her words had on him. "There are a million ways to die." He shifted his gaze away from her. "But remember, you only have one life so live it properly. Watch what you say."

"The way you speak…" She turned her head to his direction. "Are you saying that there was also a time when you wanted to die?" He didn't say anything. "When?"

The man falling from the tower, with his arms spread out, came flashing into Natsume's mind again.

"I'm asking you, when?" she repeated.

He gave up. This girl was too persistent. Finally, he said: "There was never a time where I felt like dying," and stretched his arms behind him, placing his palms on the bench. He leaned back on his arms and looked up at the ceiling of the station. Little star-shaped lights dangled from wires, flashing different colours like blue, red, green and yellow. "But I saw someone die once."

"Did you know this person?"

"Not at all."

"So…?"

"This happened a long time ago, when I went to Paris with my parents. I was ten and my dad was there on a business trip, but because we hadn't gone on a vacation together in a while, he thought he would take all of us. My step-mother wandered into a Chanel store, and she was there with my sister. But because I wasn't too interested in bags or clothes back then I left the store, not telling either of them. And as I walked out…"

" _AGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH"_

 _Screams filled the air as the man took a step forward off the edge of the Eiffel Tower and fell, free falling. Men were pointing their fingers, women were either shielding their eyes or their children's eyes, and it all happened so fast. One moment there he was, a living breathing person, and the next he was gone._

 _Just gone._

 _Natsume froze where he was. People rushed past him, yelling: "Someone help him!" in French. All the muscles in his body tensed and he couldn't move. He couldn't even take a step forward. His step-mother came out, holding his sister's hand, another hand to her open mouth._

" _Natsume!" she cried, as she reached out to hug him, trying to cover his eyes. She'd seen it too. His sister on the other hand was still too young to understand what had happened._

 _Natsume peered out from underneath his step-mother's arms and saw the shape of the dead man's body between the crowds of people. Blood came out his eyes, nose, and mouth, and there was a puddle of blood located in the area around his head. It was like the man, though dead, was trying to tell him something, but Natsume didn't know what it was. He shut his eyes tight, and buried his face into his step-mother's arms. But even then, the face of the dead man appeared in the darkness as well and he opened his eyes with a shock._

" _Come, let's go," he heard his step-mother say, as she urgently ushered them back to their hotel._

" _What happened?" asked his sister innocently, tugging onto their step-mother's sleeve. "What happened mommy?"_

 _And that question stayed with him even when he was finally old enough to register what it meant._

Mikan understood now why people were so captivated by his books, because even though this wasn't a fictional story – this was something that actually happened to the man sitting next to her – she was drawn to his words and the way he told it. "That happened to you?" she whispered. "You didn't make that up?"

"I'm a writer and I've written lots of stories, but that's a pretty traumatic experience for a ten-year-old boy, wouldn't you say?" He pushed himself forward with his hands, and put his elbows on both knees. "I _wish_ I could make that up," he whispered, just barely loud enough for Mikan to hear. "Then my life would've probably been a lot easier…" This last sentence, he said more to himself than to Mikan.

There was something in his voice that told Mikan that maybe, just maybe, he was a little bit like her. It was obvious he hadn't told anyone that story for a long time. And she surprised herself when she felt a smile come across her lips. He just told her something about himself that was private and personal. And it was nice to know that he was willing to share it with her, even though they didn't trust each other. But the feeling she had towards him earlier was starting to change a little bit, even though she wasn't quite sure what it was.

She cleared her throat. "I wasn't…" she began, but hesitated a little bit, not sure how Natsume would react, or if he was even interested in the story she was going to tell him. "I wasn't born blind."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm. It happened when I was eight." She bit her bottom lip, reluctant to continue. But when Natsume didn't interrupt, she continued. "My dad was coming home from a business trip, and we decided – when I say we, I mean me and my mom – we decided to pick him up at the airport, even though he told us he'd be fine and could just call the people at his work place to pick him up. But my mom said no, and that it had been two months since we'd last seen him. She wanted to see him soon, so we went."

Mikan felt like she dragged on for much too long, setting up the story, and after all, why would Natsume be interested in all this? But he didn't say anything and went on with her own story of the past.

"We met him at Narita Airport, and because he hadn't driven in so long, he wanted to drive. 'I'm tired of being the one taken to places. Let me be behind the wheel this time,' he said. So he drove, and we were going down the highway when a nearby truck swerved into our lane, not seeing our car next to his. When I woke, I was in the hospital. Of course I didn't know it was the hospital, because everything was black even though I had my eyes wide open. I mean, not completely blank. Mostly black. I can see outlines of shapes and things but I can't make out what they are. I'd walk into a wall if I wasn't careful. Anyways, I asked them what happened to me, and they said the truck that crashed into us was carrying forty barrels of acid, and they, the doctors I mean, think it hit me in the eyes at some point during the crash."

She gazed down, and tightened her grip on her cane. "But even more frightening than waking up in darkness was learning that my parents did not survive. They both died instantly the doctors said. And they were sorry. I tried to convince myself that at least it was a painless death. But it never works that way you know? And because the rest of my family couldn't be bothered to take care of me, they gave me to my grandpa."

Natsume was glad for the first time since she'd met her, that she was blind, because that way she couldn't see the look of sadness and sorrow that passed over his face. He wanted to say something – anything – but couldn't find the words despite the amount of words he had at his disposal. So instead of saying anything, he raised his arm that was on her side and gave her a pat on the head. "Guess things haven't been easy for either of us."

This time, Mikan didn't try to slap his hand away. " _You slap away their hand when they give it to you_ " he had told her. And besides, this felt rather nice. "You said your 'step-mother' though. What happened to your real mom?" she asked, turning her head his direction a little.

"Oh." He dropped his hand from her head. "She died trying to give birth to Aoi. That's my sister."

"… Sorry about that."

"That's okay. It's been years now. It doesn't bother me so much anymore. Besides, I like my step-mom. She's always been nice to me and my sister. And of course, my dad as well. I've got nothing to complain about. She's taken good care of my family." He stood up then and stretched his arms over his head. "Well, we gotta go."

"Go where?"

"I'm taking you home with me."

" _Again?!_ " Mikan stood up now and turned to where she heard his voice. "I want to go home. My grandpa's going to worry about me."

"Tell him you're staying over at a friend's house. Besides, tomorrow is Saturday." He leaned in so that he was eye level with her. "You've got nothing to worry about." Suddenly, his tone changed into something she didn't quite recognize. "Not with me taking care of you. I don't trust you to go off on your own, not after today."

Once again, he took her by the hand and they made their way out of the station together, this time, side by side instead of one in front of the other. They walked down the street for a bit before Mikan heard a door open. "You brought your car with you?"

"I can't exactly walk around Tokyo freely anymore," he said. "It was dangerous enough for me just to follow you. I had to wear a cap and sunglasses."

Mikan tried to hide her giggle. "Really?"

The door slammed shut on her side and Natsume made his way over to the driver's side, got in, and closed the door. "Really," he answered, slightly irritated that she found it entertaining. But he didn't make much of fuss about it and drove the rest of the way home.

Once they arrived, Natsume helped Mikan out of the car and took her by the hand, placing it on his arm so that she was holding onto him. How did things end up like this again? Why were they in this situation once more? Just earlier today, he didn't want anything to do with this girl – he'd told Ruka as much – and now he was bringing her back into his home. Maybe there wasn't something so much wrong with her, but him instead. They rode the elevator in silence to the top floor, and he unlocked his door. He opened the door and allowed her in first.

"Did you call your grandpa yet?" asked Natsume.

"Ah," Mikan started, remembering that she still hadn't. "No, not yet." She took out her phone from her school bag. She pressed a button on the phone. "Grandpa," she said, holding the phone close to her mouth. She put the phone to her ear and it rang three times before someone answered. "Hello? Yes, it's Mikan. I'm staying over at Anna's place for the rest of the weekend, is that okay? I've got my homework taken care of. Yes. Yes, I'll call you. Okay, have a goodnight."

"Want anything?" asked Natsume, as he walked over to the kitchen. "Water? Tea?"

"Tea," she told him, suddenly realizing just how cold she was. "Any kind will do. Um…" She stood awkwardly again in the living room. "Is there anywhere I can sit?"

"There's the couch," Natsume said as he made his way towards her. He placed an arm over her shoulders, took one of her hands, and walked her over. "Sit here, I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, she felt something warm in her hand. She took a sip. _Green tea._ "So, I'm going to be staying here for the next few days?"

"Yeah." Natsume, having poured himself some tea as well, took a sip from the mug. _Though I don't know what I was thinking when I brought you here._

But in the short amount of time they'd known each other, he felt like he had bonded with her on some level – though it definitely wasn't on some sort of intimate level – and he was pretty sure she felt the same. Because right now, as she was drinking her tea, the mug clasped between her small hands, she was smiling. And maybe not even she realize that the smile on her lips was the loveliest smile he'd ever seen on a person – man or woman.

* * *

Natsume groaned as he checked the time on his phone. _7:30 am_ the display told him and there were already eight missed calls from Imai and five from Ruka. He rubbed a hand over his face and sat up, pushing his blankets aside. "Why are they calling me this early?" he muttered angrily to himself.

But…

If Imai called him more times than even Ruka, something must seriously be wrong. He swung his legs over to the edge of the bed and – instead of calling Imai – called Ruka. He couldn't be bothered to be faced with her wrath so early in the morning. Besides, he still wanted to live a while longer. Ruka picked up as soon as the phone rang.

" _Natsume?!"_

"Yes Ruka, what's wrong?"

" _Tell me, what's going on?"_

Natsume paused for a moment before replying. What did he mean what was going on? He couldn't think of anything he'd done recently, or warrant him of such accusations. "I don't know, you tell me."

" _Have you seen the news this morning? And the newspapers have already written a story on it! The gossip columns are going crazy!"_

Natsume raised an eyebrow. "What?" He walked out of his room into the living room and turned the TV on. He flipped the channel to the morning news.

" _It's been reported that Natsume Hyuuga, best-selling author of_ The Ocean Blue, _and_ A Romantic Tragedy _, was seen out yesterday at Tokyo Station with a mysterious girl. Many viewers called in this morning into our gossip column and we have yet to obtain any answers from his publicist,"_ said a female reporter as a video – clearly shot with a cellphone – began to play in the upper right corner. It was the moment where he had pushed the people in the crowd aside roughly. He knelt down by the girl sprawled on the floor, shoulders hunched over, brown hair covering her face, like a beaten and abused animal.

" _As you can see, this girl here is someone important to me,"_ he had said. And like he'd done yesterday, he helped the girl on her feet. Before more could be shown, the clip was cut off. "Oh…" was all he said, his cellphone still against his ear.

" _Oh?"_ Ruka repeated. " _OH?! You don't have anything more to say? What happened yesterday? I told you to take Mikan home!"_

"Well, if you've seen the video, then obviously I went out with her."

Ruka sighed. _"Did she get home okay?"_

"Huh? Oh, yeah… About that…" Suddenly, the doorbell rang. He made his way to the door. "Just hold on Ruka, someone's at the door."

" _Wait, don't open it-!"_

Too late.

"Hyuuga."

It was _definitely_ too early in the morning for Natsume to deal with all of this. The woman who stood in front of him gave him a look so icy cold, he felt a chill go up in his spine. "I-Imai…" he said nervously. He thought he heard Ruka gulp on the other end. Natsume ended the call. He quickly replaced his surprise with a slight grin, leaning against the doorframe. "It appears I am granted the honour of your presence this fine morning." Her purple eyes were unwavering.

She didn't wait for him to invite her in, and instead shoved him aside. "I want an explanation," she said briskly, walking in. When she turned to look at him, her gaze sent daggers into his body. "Because I don't know how I'm going to fix this for you this time. Usually…" she continued, making her way into his living room. Natsume followed after her. "When there are rumours about you, it's an easy fix. But this time, there's actual video evidence." She sat down on his couch, legs crossed and arms crossed. "What are we going to do about it?"

Natsume took a quick glance at her and went into the kitchen instead. "I need coffee," he simply said.

" _Hyuuga!"_ She unzipped the black bag she'd been carrying with her and threw a newspaper angrily on the table. She pointed at it accusingly. The headline read: _Natsume Together with Young Teenage Girl?_ " _What happened here?_ "

He went back over to Imai with two cups of coffee – knowing that if he only made one for himself, she'd definitely smack him across the face. "Is this so strange?" he asked her in a teasing voice. "You're used to me being with women by now. This isn't anything new to you Imai. Besides, as my publicist, isn't it _your_ job to make sure stories like this don't attract attention?"

"I'm not your mommy. Don't expect me to follow you around everywhere," she said back, irritated.

"Please, I'd rather you stay far from me," he said in a low voice.

Hotaru ignored his comment and checked the time on her watch. "Ruka should be on his way."

"How come the two of you didn't come together?" he asked, sipping his coffee.

"Because then I wouldn't be able to scream and shout at you. And maybe I should even think about hitting you because you make me so angry. You already cause me enough trouble just by being yourself. I don't need you to give me all these surprises."

Natsume raised an eyebrow, amused. "I surprise you? Who would've known?"

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "I'd rather not have that talk with you." There was a moment of silence. "Now…" She pointed back at the newspaper. "Explain. What is the meaning of this?"

Natsume shrugged. He walked over to the counter and sat on one of the stools. "Exactly what it means. I was at Tokyo station and I was there with a 'young teenage girl," he said in a mocking tone. "Gossip columns are always so damn impulsive."

"The fact that you were walking around in a subway station is already a problem. Might I remind you that you're a best-selling author who has sold millions of copies of his books – loved by women everywhere – and now people know who you are. If they see you with someone who's _not_ a public figure – especially if it's a female – they're going to start asking questions. And this girl here – I already feel sorry for her."

Natsume stared at Hotaru with cold eyes. "You don't understand. I had no choice," he said finally.

"No choice?" Hotaru repeated, breathing out each word. "Of course you did! I've known you a long time, and Natsume Hyuuga would never try to attract unwanted attention to himself like this. You could've just walked away."

"You don't know what happened before that."

"So tell me."

Natsume hesitated.

But just as he was about to start, the door opened.

"Sorry Natsume!" It was Ruka, who appeared to be rather breathless. "I didn't know Hotaru left already." He came running in. "Is she still here…?" He trailed off as soon as he saw her sitting on Natsume's couch, clearly not happy. "So you're here…" he said, letting out a nervous chuckle.

"So I am," Hotaru said back to him. "I've been here for about twenty minutes, and I still have no idea what's going on. I can't make any calls if I don't know what's happening." She fixed her gaze on Ruka, who was looking seriously at Natsume, who (Natsume, that is) didn't look like he really cared either way.

"Didn't you send her home?" Ruka asked him.

"I was there with her, wasn't I?"

"Yeah, but I thought you would have at least some common sense and drive her home, not take her home on the subway."

Natsume threw his hands up in the air. "Okay, okay. I give up." He sighed. "I sent her home by herself, but I followed her as soon as she left my house."

"You _followed_ her?" Hotaru could barely control her rage. She stood up, and stomped her way over to him. She stabbed him in the chest with a finger. " _Why_ would you do that? You should've just let her leave on her own. _Look_ at the mess you've gotten into. You know what that means? It means more work for _me_!"

This time, it was Ruka who walked over to the both of them, and he put an arm around his fiancée. "Darling," he said gently to her. He felt her resist his touch but eventually she gave in. "You don't understand."

Hotaru screamed. "Uggggh! Why does everyone keep telling me that?" She turned her gaze to Ruka. "Make me understand then, _darling_." She said it with such venom that Ruka nearly took a step back.

"The girl that Natsume was with yesterday," he started to explain. "I was the one who found her."

"You were…?"

Hotaru was beginning to calm down, and Ruka turned her around so she could face him. Meanwhile, Natsume, who was standing behind them, slipped away and sat lazily on the couch. Ruka put his hands on her shoulders. "Yes. You know how it was raining yesterday? I bumped into this girl, she lost balance and fell on the ground. She was completely soaked from top to bottom, so I took her here to wash up instead of back to our place since Natsume's house is closer. Besides…"

Natsume made for the remote and started flipping through the channels, sipping his coffee.

"I doubt we'll ever see her again. So don't worry."

His thumb froze over the buttons. He cleared his throat and put the mug on the coffee table, turning around to look at his friends. "About that…" He turned to look at his two friends who were still engaged in a conversation. "She's here right now. I brought her back with me."

This time, Ruka and Hotaru were the ones who froze. None of them spoke a word for a good ten seconds. Until finally…

"What?!" the two cried.

Ruka ran over to Natsume first. He grabbed Natsume by the shoulders and started shaking him violently. "How could you bring her _back_? Are you crazy? What's wrong with you? What are her parents going to say? What is _Luna_ going to say? If anyone finds out about this, you'll be called a pervert!"

" _Hey!_ " Natsume cried, swatting Ruka's hands away. He pointed a finger at Ruka. "I'm not a pervert." Then a smug and playful smile came across his lips. "Women come to me," and he spread his arms out, "willingly."

Hotaru snorted. "That is not something to be proud of."

"That doesn't mean I like women particularly," he pointed out, still trying to act playful. He rested his arms on the back of his couch. "They're just drawn to me."

" _Listen_." Hotaru pushed Ruka aside and grabbed Natsume by his shirt. "This isn't the time to be playing games. You should at least be a little bit worried." There was silence. Natsume, still a smile on his face, and Hotaru, dead serious. Then, he lifted a hand.

And placed it on Hotaru's back.

He motioned his hand in gentle, circular motions, slowly pulling her into him at the same time. Hotaru gasped and pushed herself away from him, stumbling a little. She glared at him. "I don't know why I bother," she snarled.

"What?" said Natsume playfully, grinning. "Just a cute prank." Somebody's phone rang, interrupting whatever Hotaru was going to say next. "That would be mine," sighed Natsume as he got up from the couch and walked into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Mikan was awoken by screaming coming from downstairs. She heaved herself up from the bed and rubbed an eye. Yawning, she reached over to the nightstand next to the bed, where she placed her walking cane last night. She fumbled around a bit before she felt something cylindrical and long. She wrapped her fingers around it. The door, if she remembered correctly, should just be a few steps in front of her, but still she approached cautiously and slowly. She still wasn't all too familiar with this place yet. After little difficulty, she felt the doorknob and opened the door.

That was when she heard the voices. A few familiar voices and an unfamiliar one.

"A call?" a female voice said.

"Yeah." This was definitely the man from yesterday – Ruka. "I don't know who else would be looking for him this early in the morning. Maybe his parents?"

"I don't think it would be his parents. They're on a business trip. Aoi's the only one looking after things at the company right now." There was a pause. "Aoi called me."

"Right…" Ruka's voice sounded nervous. "So if it's not his parents, do you think it's…" At this moment, Ruka's voice wavered though Mikan couldn't imagine why. "Luna?"

Mikan, who had been walking down the hall towards the staircase, froze the moment he mentioned her name. Her eyes slowly widened and questions started floating around in Mikan's mind. _Why would they know Luna? Why would Luna know them? Does Natsume know Luna? Why? How? When?_ She didn't particular like or dislike Luna. She was just everywhere and that was a lot to say especially for a blind person. Mikan didn't know what Luna looked like but from what she'd heard at school or just going out with Anna or her grandpa, Luna was extremely beautiful.

Which suddenly made Mikan very depressed. Yeah, she was blind, but she still remembered how she looked like.

At 8 years old.

How did she look now, 10 years later? She wasn't so sure. She always wanted to ask Anna, but she was scared of what she'd say. Maybe she wasn't pretty and just a plain-looking girl. Maybe she was even ugly. She couldn't bear to know these truths. Which is part of the reason why she always made sure to keep herself well protected from the world so she wouldn't get hurt. Slowly, Mikan took another step forward. Maybe it was time she went downstairs to say hello to Natsume and his guests.

There was a sound then, and she heard Natsume's voice. "Dammit…" He sounded agitated.

"What's wrong?" asked Ruka.

"Who was it?" Hotaru interjected next.

Natsume sighed. "Can you guys just… stop asking me questions for a minute?" Mikan heard him groan. Finally, he said: "I have to go."

"Go?" asked the female voice, clearly upset. "Go where?"

Natsume didn't say.

"It was Luna, wasn't it?" That voice belonged to Ruka. There were steps. "Wasn't it? Natsume?"

Natsume didn't say anything again, but the silence was enough. "She saw what was on TV this morning. She's upset."

"So?" The female voice was like ice. "What's important right now is fixing this mess. Not dilly dallying with the women in your life."

"It's either I go to her or she comes to me," said Natsume, and his tone was suddenly threatening, as though he would do something horrible if anyone got in his way. "Imai… sometimes there are things that are more important than dealing with what the media and people think of me."

"This is your _reputation_ we're talking about here!" Her voice rose. "Why do you think I'm working so hard here, Hyuuga? I've known you since high school! Don't ju-"

The doorbell rang.

"Shit!" Natsume cursed under his breath. Suddenly, the sound of the TV was gone, a door closed, and there were footsteps.

"Natsume…" It was another female voice but this one, Mikan recognize.

Luna.

Mikan took a deep breath and swallowed back the urge to cry. She still had a hand on the wall but she felt her knees buckle underneath her and suddenly, she was on the ground, hand to her chest, and cane on the ground. The way she said his name… Mikan couldn't say what it was, but it was obvious she cared for Natsume and she felt hurt about something. They'd known each other a long time too it seemed like. Definitely longer than the time Mikan had known Natsume – which wouldn't even account for one day.

But it just bothered her.

It wasn't so much this woman. Perhaps it could've been any woman, Mikan wouldn't know. But yesterday, when he told her his story and when she told him hers, and the way his hand felt when he patted her head, she felt something – a connection. Like he understood her and she understood where he was coming from. But now she didn't feel like this way because she couldn't understand why it was _Luna Koizumi_. _Okay, so maybe it_ is _her…_ Mikan shut her eyes tight and she felt tears starting to form. Not from whatever relationship Natsume and Luna might have, but how disgusted she felt with herself. Her heart tightened and it was hard to breathe.

"Don't you have a meeting with the record label today?" Natsume's voice sounded urgent too, Mikan noted.

"I do, but then I saw you on TV this morning. I wasn't sure if it was you so I had to come and ask."

There was silence.

Mikan couldn't help but wonder what was going on downstairs. Was Luna inside the apartment now? Was she embracing him and did he have his arms around her too? Was he comforting her? Whispering things into her ear? Kissing the top of her head? Placing his cheek against her hair? Mikan shook her head and quickly pushed these thoughts away. She didn't care about Natsume or Luna. So they should've been irrelevant to her… But then she realized it meant more to her than she would've liked to admit.

"It was just a girl I met yesterday. Nothing happened, I promise Luna."

 _It was just a girl I met yesterday._

So that was what she meant to him. She was just a girl – because after all, Natsume had met many girls and that's all they were. Just girls. Mikan felt a strange pang in her heart. It was something she had never felt before, and she didn't know what it was or even what it meant. She clenched her hand into a tight fist just above her left breast. But what hurt even more was the way Natsume said _her_ name.

 _Luna_.

 _He cares about this person,_ Mikan thought. _And more._

"You said she was important."

Natsume had. Mikan didn't think much of it then, but it suddenly meant a lot to her. Everything suddenly meant more to her. 9

"I was in a situation where I couldn't just leave her the way she was. She was just a girl I helped, that's all. I probably won't see her again. What happened yesterday was a total coincidence."

Mikan couldn't handle any more of this conversation. She gathered whatever strength she had left in her legs and got up, leaning her body against the wall, gathering her walking cane in her hand. She turned around and went back into her room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Gosh, I don't even know what to say... Thank you all for your kind words! They mean so much to me, really. As well, thanks for waiting so patiently. I know this one took a bit longer than the last one. I hope you'll stick around for chapter 4, hee hee. No guarentees as to when that chapter will come out though. I will try to update regularly and keep you guys from all that suspense. I know it's hard!


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